Saga Thing

At long last, we return . . . to the prophecy about the cousins Steinólf and Arngrím. Oddbjörg. What could possibly break the bond of these BFFs? Hopefully Arngrím’s wife can make some sense of their little feud and help heal the fracture in their relationship. Speaking of fractures, this is the episode where things really pop off between Glúm and the men of Espihóll and we begin rushing headlong toward the climax and conclusion of this saga. Here’s a little map of the region to help you make sense of the major locations featured in this episode. <img width="836" height="618" data-attachment-id="2700" data-permalink="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/2026/05/22/episode-41e-viga-glums-saga-chapters-20-23/map-for-e41e/" data-orig-file="https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/map-for-e41e.png" data-orig-size="836,618" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":

In this episode, we catch up with an old friend called Killer-Skuta. You might remember him from The Saga of the People of Reykjadal and of Killer-Skuta. We’ll revisit a familiar story from that saga where Killer-Skuta makes an attempt on the life of Killer-Glum and try to make sense of how it ended up in this saga (and that one). That leads to an inevitable conversation about saga writing, manuscript collecting, and art. Once we put Killer-Skuta to bed, we’re right back into the main narrative of Viga-Glum’s Saga. The main focus of this episode is the mysterious case of the missing livestock. The prime suspect is a wily freedman named Hallvard who sets up a farm between the properties of Halli the Old and his son Bard. And while everyone else in the district would like to see Hallvard put in his place, there’s one man standing in the way of justice and he’s got a powerful father. <p c

In this episode, Glúm continues to establish himself as a leading figure in southern Eyjafjörður. We start with a brief overview of the many marriages that take place at this stage of the saga, including: Glúm – Halldóra Thórir of Espihóll – Thórdís Thórarinn of Espihóll – Thorgerd Thorvald Hook of Espihóll – Thorkötla Of course, the real trouble starts when Thórir’s son Thorgrím sets his heart on the lovely Thórdís. Things get interesting from there. Check out the Víga-Glúms saga genealogy Andy’s been building here. All these marriages naturally result in the arrival of many new characters to the saga. Among them are Már, the son of Glúm and Halldóra, and two special little cousins, Arngrím and Steinólf. These two boys get along better than anyone in Iceland. Surely they have a bright future ahead of them. Right? We also dive into a fun little story a

Saga Thing returns after a much-needed holiday to pick up the story of young Glúm Eyjólfsson, better known to history as Víga-Glúm. When last we left you, Glúm’s father (Eyjólf, who some called Lump) had passed away. Seeking any advantage they could get in the district, Thorkel the Tall and his son Sigmund claimed the best land at Thverá for themselves, pushing Ástrid and Glúm to the margins of the property. With no help coming from her eldest son Thorstein, Ástrid is forced to rely on her youngest, Glúm. Unfortunately for her, Glúm is a known coalbiter who prefers laying by the fire to working or pursuing justice for his family. As the situation worsens, Glúm heads to Norway hoping to gain some experience and recognition from his maternal grandfather Vigfús. Of course, things don’t go exactly to plan when he arrives. How does this family reunion go for Glúm? Does grandpa Vigfús the hersir embrace his Icelandic gran

We’re thrilled to kick off our first episode of Víga-Glúms saga, the last of the sagas of Eyjafjörð. Víga-Glúms saga is one of the great character-driven Íslendingasögur, often drawing comparisons to Egils saga. Now, whether that’s because it also happens to be a biographical saga or because it’s of a similar quality will have to be sorted out on the podcast across the overview and judgments. But we’re excited to start this new saga either way, and this first episode sets the stage beautifully for the arrival of the man who comes to be known as Killer-Glum. Like so many sagas, Víga-Glúms saga opens not with the hero himself but with the adventures of the generations that came before him. These early chapters give us a sense of the family dynamics, the local tensions, and threads of fate that Glum will inherit and inevitably wrestle with as his saga develops. Cast of Characters: I’m going to try and include a cast of major characters in the show notes for each episode to help listeners keep track of things. In this first episode, we get to know Glum’s formidable ancestors, including: Helgi the Lean, Glúm’s great-grandfather and the most prominent settler in Eyjafjörð Ingjald Helgason, Glúm’s grumpy grandfather Eyjólf, Glúm’s mild-mannered but calculating father Of course, this wouldn’t be Saga Thing without a few memorable supporting characters to make things interesting. This episode introduces some pretty interesting Norwegians: Hreiðar, a Norwegian merchant with a heart of gold Ívar, a Viking with a heart of red (also Hreiðar’s brother) A berserk with a notably low sense of self-worth, whose attempts at intimidation don’t quite land the way he hopes Vigfús, a powerful Norwegian hersir with a lovely daughter named Ástrið And then, there are the Icelanders who will make Glúm’s life more interesting, and challenging: Þorkell the Tall, father-in-law of Glúm’s recently deceased brother Sigmund, son of Þorkell the Tall, and wannabe goði If you need some help keeping track of all these names and relationships, check out the genealogy Andy is preparing for Víga-Glúms saga here. Víga-Glúms saga is definitely a fun one that we’ve been saving for a while. We hope you enjoy this first episode!</

A little Halloween treat for all you Saga Thing fans. You’ll want to listen with headphones to get the full effect on these two spooky tales. Listen and then share your thoughts on our social media: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram Sagathingpodcast on Bluesky Saga Thing’s unofficial official Discord Music Credits Intro Music – from “Death Awaits” by Billy Malmstrom Outro Music – “Mythic Force” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Hwæt a Movie is back! This time we dive deep into the uncanny valley epic Beowulf from 2007. Released at the height of Robert Zemeckis’s motion-capture mania, this version of our favorite Old English classic promised to bring the poem to life like never before. It was slated to be an event like no other, at least for John and Andy. In this star-studded and CG-saturated film, Ray Winstone voices a Beowulf who looks suspiciously like an action figure and swaggers like he just killed nine nicors. He’s accompanied by the ageless Wiglaf, played by Brendan Gleeson. The great Anthony Hopkins plays a jovial but somewhat mad King Hrothgar, Robin Wright plays the deeply troubled Queen Wealhtheow, and John Malkovich does his best John Malkovich as Unferth. But if we’re honest, this is the Grendel family’s movie from start to finish. Crispin Glover turns in a unforgettable performance as a Grendel who swells with anger and shri

In this episode, we finally sit down with Dr. Yoav Tirosh, one of the leading voices in Old Norse–Icelandic studies and an all-around fascinating person to talk to. Yoav has written extensively on topics ranging from Ljósvetninga Saga and saga authorship to storytelling, cultural memory, and disability studies. He’s also the creative force behind the webcomic Viking Comics, a seasoned Icelandic tour guide, and a delightful companion for wandering around Kraków. Or was it Prague??? Yoav recently completed a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship at Aarhus University and now works as a researcher at the Center for Disability Studies at the University of Iceland. You can pick up a copy of his latest book, How Genre Governs Creation in the Medieval Icelandic Sagas. It’s v

After nearly a year of working our way through Ljósvetninga Saga, it is finally time to bring it to the Saga Thing and pass judgments. As always, we’ll pass out awards for Best Bloodshed, Nicknames, and Notable Witticisms. We’ll send one (or more?) scoundrel in Outlawry. And we’ll also discuss the Body Count, pick Thingmen, and offer our Final Ratings. Does Ljósvetninga Saga have what it takes to stand up there with the giants like Njáls saga and Egils saga? Or will it stumble down to the middle of the pack?  And who will we pick for thingmen from this saga where the line between good guys and bad isn’t always so clear? There’s only one way to find out! Listen and let us know what you think: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sa

In this episode, we finally come to the end of Ljósvetninga saga! And there are a lot of loose ends to wrap up. Eyjolf Guðmundarson still burns for vengeance against his brother’s killers, but the courts have spared the Möðruvellings, exiling them instead. The outlawed Möðruvellings plan to spread out across Northern Europe, but they have to get out of Iceland first—and the clock is ticking. Our story this time takes us from the court of Harald Hardrada to the streets of Rome, from the bustle of Byzantium to the famous Battle of Hastings, as everyone tries to move on with their lives. And try as they might, not everyone’s making it out alive. Pack your bags for a globe-trotting conclusion to Ljósvetninga saga! Listen and let us know what you think: Sagathingpodcast on Facebook Sagathingpodcast on Instagram <p c